A Nova Scotia man who recently completed a cross-country walk to promote hospice palliative care was in Nanaimo Tuesday.
Ian Bos, 39, stopped by Nanaimo Community Hospice, where he spoke to staff members and volunteers about his nationwide journey and efforts to raise money for hospices.
Bos started out in New Glasgow in May and finished on Monday in Victoria. The roughly 6,000-kilometre trip took him 159 days to complete.
"It has been an amazing couple of months,” Bos said. “At this point I am a little numb.”
The walk, called Ian's Walk for End of Life Care, was inspired by Bos' father, Ted, who had spent time in hospice palliative care in Nova Scotia and died of cancer earlier this year. Bos said after spending time with his father in a hospice he grew to appreciate the care and services that it offers.
"Dad was the inspiration for the walk," Bos said. "But the people that made me tie my shoes up were the people that cared for him."
The walk raised money for the the Aberdeen Palliative Care Society in Nova Scotia and Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association as well as various other palliative care organizations.
Bos said throughout his journey he heard incredible stories from countless people who have had friends or family members use a hospice, adding that he was honoured to be raising awareness about hospices.
“It is such a powerful service,” Bos said. “People who shine a light for you in your darkest hour and to shine the spotlight on them is a real honour for me.”
Karyn French, Nanaimo Community Hospice Society executive director, said the society was thrilled to be able to host Bos and that having someone promote the types of services a hospice provides has been fantastic.
"Bringing that awareness of end-of-life care, advance care planning and all the work that hospices do has been really valuable," French said. "He took the ... extra step, but doing it, he wasn't alone and that connection with hospices all across the country has been amazing."
For more information and to donate to Ian's Walk for End of Life Care, please visit http://bit.ly/1PUqQnQ.